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As we are all becoming increasingly aware of our impact on the planet, more and more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint – after all, buildings and offices account for almost 40% of all global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.

The largest share of a workplace’s carbon emissions comes from electricity, accounting for between 30-40%, with a significant amount coming from heating and air conditioning.

If your business is looking to implement new green initiatives and find ways to be kinder to the planet, a great step is installing window film. Window films are an effective and eco-friendly way to increase energy efficiency whilst reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of your business.

Why use eco-friendly window film?

It might not seem like a big change, but you might be surprised at how much difference installing window film can make to the sustainability of your business.

Better energy efficiency

Of course, the main benefit of using window film is that it can actually reduce your carbon footprint. UK summers are getting warmer and as for the rest of the year, we know that cold snaps aren’t just a winter thing. As a result, many businesses will be relying on air conditioning and heating throughout the year.

Solar window film is very effective at reducing heat loss or gain to regulate indoor temperatures. When it’s warm outside, energy-saving window film minimises the amount of heat that is coming into the building by blocking or absorbing solar energy. In the colder months, window film helps to retain interior heat, meaning that you can use your central heating less to keep the workplace a comfortable temperature.

As using window film means less reliance on air conditioning or heating, it helps with your overall energy consumption, which leads to a lower carbon footprint. In large commercial premises, this is particularly beneficial, as energy costs can be substantial.

Plus, window films are designed to still let in natural light. On sunny days, the glare reduction properties of window film means that your employees can enjoy the daylight without irritating screen glare, and won’t need to use artificial lighting.

Of course, as well as the benefits for the planet, using energy-efficient window films does lead to cost savings in the long term as your business will be using less energy. These savings could even be reinvested into further sustainability measures.

Better sun protection

If you notice that your office furniture isn’t looking as vibrant as it used to, UV rays are likely the culprit. Over time, the harmful UV rays will damage, fade and discolour furnishings and equipment that is exposed to sunlight. Materials such as wood, leather and textiles are all at risk, and darker and more vibrant colours tend to fade faster.

Every year, 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill – we’d bet that many of these are still in a useable state, but just look a bit past their best. Using window film can block out the rays that cause furniture damage, meaning that your office furniture will last longer, reducing the need to replace them prematurely. Less waste and less resource consumption will always have a positive impact on the planet!

Avoid replacing windows

If you’re looking to upgrade your windows, adding film to your current windows is a far more sustainable choice than completely replacing them.

Installing window film negates the need to remove and dispose of your existing windows, which cuts down on the amount of waste that will be sent to landfill. Window manufacturing can be bad for the environment, as many types of windows use a significant amount of energy to produce, and the production process emits harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Benefits of sustainability initiatives

There are many advantages of green initiatives for a business. Naturally, the cost-saving benefits are a key advantage, but there are more positives! Being a more sustainable business can improve your image – showing a genuine interest in the environment is very appealing to both stakeholders and customers. It can also help you work your way to certain certifications that can boost the business’s corporate image, and can even help when applying for certain funding if you can show your commitment to the planet.

Eco-friendly window film installation

OVAGLAS offers a wide range of quality window films, including energy saving window films, privacy window films and decorative window films, all of which provide a sustainable alternative to new windows. Get in touch with the team at OVAGLAS to find out what kind of difference window films can make to your business.

When it comes to thinking of ways to improve your workplace, upgrading your windows might not even be on your radar, but office window film can actually make a world of difference. From improving privacy to increasing energy efficiency, you’d be surprised at the impact installing window film can make for your business.

We’ve outlined the most popular types of window film and how they can lead to an even better working environment.

Privacy Window Film

Privacy window film can be applied to both interior and exterior windows, depending on the type that you choose. Interior window film is typically applied to areas of an office or commercial building where extra privacy is needed, such as boardrooms, conference rooms and individual offices. You can buy tinted or frosted film to obscure the view into the room, whilst still allowing plenty of natural light in.

There are even window films such as Casper Cloaking Technology, which are specifically designed to help obscure LED/OLED screens from prying eyes, allowing businesses to keep confidential data private and avoid data breaches.

If your commercial property is located in a busy area, or an area with a large amount of traffic, using privacy film can prevent people from seeing inside the premises without sacrificing natural light or the view. It adds not just privacy, but also added security, as privacy film – especially if it’s tinted or reflective – can act as a burglary deterrent.

Energy-Saving Window Film

Energy saving window film is an incredibly popular choice for commercial properties, and for good reason. Applying window film can help to regulate indoor temperatures throughout the year, by reducing solar heat during summer and helping to retain heat during the winter. As well as creating a more comfortable working environment, applying solar control window film can reduce energy bills and energy consumption, as there is less need to rely on heating systems.

Applying solar window film won’t just reduce heat, it can help to block harmful UV rays. UV is one of the contributing factors to the fading of furniture and upholstery, which can be costly to replace, and its harmful rays can also contribute to skin damage. Energy-saving window film is a cost-effective and quick way to prevent this without blocking out natural light.

Additionally, applying window film can minimise irritating glare on computer screens and other reflective surfaces, which can improve comfort for employees and lead to increased productivity.

Blast Glass Containment Film

Blast glass containment film is designed to reinforce glass in the event of an explosion or accidental shattering. It works by holding the shattered glass in place to minimise the risk of injury or damage from shards of broken glass. Glass containment film can be installed on its own or alongside a retention system, which can further anchor the film and glass in the window frame.

Although bomb blast film can be used anywhere, it’s an excellent option for businesses where the risk of targeted attacks is higher, such as banks, financial institutions, or government buildings. It can drastically improve the safety of your building, providing peace of mind to you and your employees.

Safety Window Film

Similarly to bomb blast or security window film, safety window film ensures that in the event of a breakage, the glass will do so in a safe and controlled way. Glass is commonly used in commercial properties, but as it is a fragile material, it is at risk of accidental damage.

Safety film is a fast and convenient way to strengthen glass and reduce the chance of it shattering, potentially causing injury or damage to your property. It helps glass to better withstand the force of impact from not just accidents, but from other unexpected incidents like natural disasters, or even break-ins.

Windows can be the weak points of a building, providing easier access to would-be burglars, but window film can make it harder to break in. It can also add more time to forced entry attempts, which can give security personnel more time to respond in an emergency.

Window Film for Offices and Commercial Premises

Although each type of window film offers distinct benefits, there are also some additional benefits across all types of film. All of them will make some reduction to your company’s energy consumption, which will save money but also contribute to the overall eco-friendliness of the building, which is great if you are participating in a green building initiative.

Window films are also a far cheaper and easier alternative to replacing your windows, saving your business time and money. Plus, as many window films are available in a wide range of colours and patterns, you’ll be able to choose a film that suits your branding or interior design.

Global window film specialists

OVAGLAS is a global window film company that specialises in window films for commercial properties. No job is too big for us, as our expert window film installers are used to working on large-scale projects.

To find out more about how window films can improve your workplace, get in touch with the OVAGLAS team.

It’s a problem that many retailers will be all too familiar with – your glass door fridges, the ones that were specifically designed to give customers a clear view of your products, are suddenly impossible to see through.

Fogging on freezer doors is a very common problem, but one that can have a significant impact on your energy consumption, not to mention the experience of your customers. So, what exactly causes your freezer doors to fog up, and more importantly, what can you do to prevent it?

Why do freezer doors fog up?

Freezer doors fog up because of condensation, which is caused by warm, moist air coming into contact with a colder surface. In this case, the glass freezer door is far colder than the air inside your business premises, so when the air meets the glass, the moisture in the air condenses into small water droplets, which creates fog. The warmer it is inside your retail space, the faster the freezer doors will fog up and the denser it will appear.

Supermarkets and grocery stores in particular are often humid environments as there’s a constant flow of customers coming in and out of the shop, as well as refrigerated products that release moisture into the air – and the more moisture in the air, the more condensation will appear! Changing conditions both inside and outside the shop, such as changes in weather or even the air conditioning can impact the levels of condensation on the glass doors.

As you can probably guess, the condensation on freezer doors becomes a bit of a cycle. Customers open the freezer doors to get out a product, and the warm air rushes in, making it more humid in the freezer. Once they close the door and it cools down in the freezer, condensation forms – so then customers have to open the freezer doors more frequently to look inside, as they can’t see the products through the condensation.

Why is it a problem when freezer doors fog up?

Foggy freezer doors are far more than just a slight irritation to customers, they can have a real impact on a business’s energy efficiency and even profitability.

Every time a customer opens a freezer door, cold air rushes out. The more a customer has to open a freezer door, the harder your refrigeration system has to work, which can significantly drive up energy costs. Some retail freezer doors have electrical trim door heaters to keep the glass clear of fog, but over time these can be expensive, and use a surprising amount of electricity.

As well as losing money through increased energy bills, fogged doors with poor visibility can drive away customers. No matter how eye-catching or aesthetically pleasing your products are, nobody is going to pick them up if they can’t see them! It’s frustrating for customers to keep having to open freezers to search for what they need, and creates a pretty poor shopping experience. Especially if a shopper is pushed for time, they’re far more likely to buy something if they can easily find what they need.

Fogged freezer doors can also be a bit of a liability – you might find that puddles are pooling at the bottom of your freezer, meaning you’re constantly getting your employees to wipe down the doors to avoid any slips and falls.

How to prevent freezer doors from fogging

Thankfully, freezer door fogging is a fixable problem – here are a few things that you can try.

Controlling humidity in store

If your premises is prone to humidity – especially during the warmer months – consider using dehumidifiers to limit the amount of moisture that’s in the air. There is only so much that you can do to reduce humidity, as variables out of your control (such as the weather) will have an impact, but dehumidifiers might help.

Improve air circulation

Another option could be altering the layout of your shop to improve the air circulation and stop the warmer air from lingering around the freezer aisle. For example, if your freezers are close to the entrance, they could be moved to the back of the store where the temperatures are more stable – although we appreciate this isn’t a feasible option for a lot of shops.

Regular cleaning

Freezer doors can be kept more clear and dry by frequent cleaning and wiping, using anti-fog sprays if needed – although this isn’t a long-term strategy, as you might end up spending a huge amount of your time wiping down the doors in between customers!

Anti-fog film

One of the most effective ways to eliminate freezer door fog is by installing anti-fog window film. It is a thin, transparent film that can be applied to glass freezer doors to prevent condensation from forming. Unlike using heated doors, a film with anti-fog properties is a passive energy-saving option that doesn’t require any energy consumption at all.

We offer Clarifoil® Anti-Fog Film, which creates an anti-fog coating on commercial freezer doors to help you save money and energy. In fact, Clarifoil® anti-fog window film has saved businesses over 148,881 metric tons of CO2, which equates to £68 million of savings on energy bills.

It couldn’t be easier to install – we offer professional installation services – and requires little effort to maintain.

Clarifoil® Anti-Fog Film Installation

Clarifoil® Anti-Fog film applied on the inside surface of your freezer doors prevents fogging and maintains glass transparency, so that customers can easily see the merchandise on offer.

We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about anti-fog window film or our professional installation services – get in touch with the OVAGLAS team.

From improving air quality to reducing stress, we all know the benefits that plants can have on a workplace – and we also know that without adequate sunlight, plants can’t thrive.

So, if your workplace is fitted with window film, how will this impact your office plants?

How window film affects plants

If you cast your mind back to your school days, you’ll remember that plants rely on sunlight for photosynthesis – so if they don’t get adequate sunlight, they will start to wither. Depending on the type of window film, it will change the amount, type and quality of light that will enter a space.

UV-blocking films

Although plants need sunlight to grow, they don’t actually need UV rays. Too much UV exposure is notoriously bad for plants and people alike, with risks of overexposure including sunburn, eye damage and even skin cancer.

UV-filtering films filter out the harmful rays in direct sunlight, whilst still letting in plenty of natural light. They still let in red and blue light – red light promotes flowering, whilst blue light aids the growth of healthy leaves. So, this type of window film doesn’t tend to have a negative impact on plant growth, and can actually help to protect house plants from sunburn (yes, plants can get it too!) and excessive heat.

Reflective or solar control window film

Reflective and solar control window films reduce heat and glare by reflecting a portion of the sunlight, which can lower the levels of light that get inside. As the visible light levels are lower, this can have a negative impact on plants that need bright, direct light to thrive – such as succulents or cacti – but can actually be very beneficial for plants that love the shade and thrive without too much sunlight.

Some indoor plants – especially those with dark green leaves – fare better with window film, as it creates a more stable indoor temperature.

Frosted or decorative window film

These types of window films tend to diffuse light, which distributes it more evenly across a room. Plants tend to benefit from diffused light, as it can minimise harsh shadows and actually mimics the natural light conditions you’d expect to find outside!

Tinted window film

As you might expect, tinted window films let in less light than many other types of window film. This is bad news for plants that require a lot of natural light to grow, but great for plants like ferns or peace lilies that tend to thrive in low light conditions.

Keeping plants healthy after installing window film

If you’re worried that window film will negatively impact your plants, the most important thing you can do is select a film that balances your needs with your plants’ needs. For example, if you want to bring a bit more privacy to your workplace, frosted window film or films that block UV light can do that whilst not impacting your plants.

After your window film has been installed, make sure to keep a close eye on your plants for signs of either light deprivation or excessive exposure. Their leaves may start to yellow, or they could start wilting – monitor them to see how the light conditions might be impacting them. You can always move them closer to windows or to a more shaded area depending on how they have reacted.

If you have any questions about window film and would like to know the best types of film for your workplace, our team is happy to help.